Pipe cleaning tool



May v5, 1942- T. D. CONSTANT ETAL 2,281,918

v' PIPE CLEANING TOOL Filed March 25,1959 e WOA/45 a Cown/v7 A TTORNPatented May 5, 1942 PIPE CLEANING TOOL Thomas D. Constant and Carson B,Boulton,

Oklahoma. City, Okla., assignors to Pipe Cleaning Company, Inc.,Oklahoma City, Okla., a` corporation of Oklahoma Application March 25,1939, Serial No. 264,086

2 Claims.

This invention relates to pipe cleaning tools, and more particularly tojointed, scraper type, flexible, pipe cleaning tools for use in cleaningunderground pipe systems, particularly Water mains.

Generally the invention comprises an elongated tool made up ofindividual sections or cylinders exibly joined together so as to permitthe tool to travel through ordinary bends and turns which may occur inthe pipe line, certain ones of the sections or cylinders being equippedwith radially extending scraper blades for scraping the interior wall ofthe pipe, and certain other sections or cylinders being equipped alsowith a suitably supported packing for urging the tool through the pipeby means of water pressure.

The objects of the invention are: to provide a type of piston or pusherwhich has the capacity of making a good seal against the bore of thepipe, yet which, at the same time, provides a flexible yielding action,permitting the piston to pass through irregularities in the interiorbore of the pipe including sharp turns, without injuring or renderingthe pusher inoperative after it has passed such irregularities; toprovide a tool of this class, the sections of which are so attachedtogether that the various sections tend to normally remain in axialalignment, thereby maintaining the forward end of the forward sectioncentered in the pipe through which the tool is traveling; to provide atool which is so constructed that the tension of the springs whichnormally tend to hold the various sections in axial alignment may beadjusted easily and quickly without taking the tool apart; to provide atool which is so constructed that it may actually be pulled through apipe line by a cable attached to its forward end without injuring thesprings which hold the various sections in normal axial alignment, andwithout the use of water pressure behind the tool; to provide a tool,the body sections of which are substantially hollow and air tight, thusproviding a sucient buoyancy to aid in keeping each of the sectionsbetter centered in the bore of the pipe through which the tool travels,thus aiding the scraper blades in removing a substantially equal amountof accumulation from the entire interior surface of the pipe beingcleaned.

The details in the construction of a preferred form of our invention,together with other objects attending its production, will be betterunderstood from the following description when read in connection withthe accompanying drawing, which is chosen for illustrative purposesonly, and in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional View through the rear portion of the device andshows the details in the construction of two different types of pushersor pistons, as well as the details in the construction of one of theordinary scraper carrying seotions; and, l

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the tool showing the relative positionsof the various sections and pushers as the tool travels through a bendin a pipe, the latter being shown in section.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in both the figures.

The embodiment disclosed includes a plurality of scraper carryingsections,` which are designated as a whole by the numeral 5, as well asa plurality of piston or pusher sections, designated as a whole by thenumerals 6 and 1. The main difference in the construction of the pushers6 and I lies in the fact that the pusher 1 includes a plurality ofscraper blades 8 mounted rigidly in any suitable manner on its forwardend,` and also includes an interior sealing plate 9, which prevents thecirculation of water through the central bore of the tool. Other thanthese differences the two pushers 6 and 'I are substantially identicaland include a tubular outer casing I0 and a tubular inner lining II, thelatter being concentrically arranged inside the outer casing, theadjacent ends of the two being rigidly connected together, as shown, toform a sealed annular hollow space I2 inside the section. The forwardend of each of these sections is rounded, as designated by the numeralI3, while the rear end lies in a plane substantially perpendicular tothe axis of the section. Ay metal washer I4 substantially of the samediameter as that of the casing Ill, but having -a smaller central borethan the bore of the lining I I, is positioned flat against the rear endof the section 6, and serves as a seat for a rubber or compositionwasher-like sealing element I5. To support that annular portion of thelsealing element I5 which extends outward beyond the casing I0, weprovide a. plurality of spaced spring-like supporting members I6, oneend of which is rigidly attached to the wall of the casing I0 inanysuitable man-ner as by rivets I'l or byweld-ihg.- The opposite ends ofthese members I6 are turned radially inward, as shown more clearly inFigure 2. The bent ends of these members I6, thereby, serve to preventthe deformation of the sealing element I5y when water pressure isapplied to the outer surface thereof. Radial outward movement of themembers I6 is limited by short lengths of chain I8, one end of eachchain being connected directly to the bent end of the member I6, and theother end of each chain being connected in any suitable manner to theWall of the casing ID, as by pins 3|.

The pusher 'I is likewise provided with a plurality of spacedspring-like supporting members I and chains I8, one for each member, anda sealing element I5. In this pusher, however, the end of the tubularinner lining II protrudes slightly beyond the end of the casing I0, andthis protruding end serves to center the sealing element I5 as well asthe metal washer I4, which, in this particular instance vvis positionedon the opposite side of the sealing element I5. The metal washer I4serves as a thrust bearing on which the rounded end I9 of the section 5bears as the tool passes through a bend in the pipe being cleaned. Themetal washer, therefore, protects the sealing element I5 from injury bythe end of the section adjacent it.

As shown, both ends of the blade carrying sections 5v are rounded. Eachsection of this type is made up of an outer casing 2i), a concentricallyarranged tubular inner lining 2I, the ends of the two tubular members Eand 2| being sealed together, as by Welding, in a manner similar to themanner in which the pushers E and 'I are constructed. Each of thesesections 5 is provided with one or more rows of circumferentiallyspaced, radially extending, scraper blades 22, the outer ends of whichscrape the pipe as the tool passes through it. It will be understood, ofcourse, that the blades 8 and-22 are made of spring metal and that whenthe various sections are not confined in a pipe the blades form asubstantially circular pattern of larger diameter thanthe interior ofther bore of the pipe which `it is intended to clean. As shown clearlyin Figure 1, the various sections are held in axial alignment by acontractile spring 23, one end of which is firmly secured, as shown, toa rod 24 which passes through aligned perforations in the outer casingI5 and the inner lining I I of theppusher 1 and the ends of which arebradded or secured rigidly in any other suitable manner in theperforations in the casing I0. The opposite end of the spring is rigidlysecured to the inner end of a tubular, externally threaded, member 25,the outside diameter of which is such as to permit it to pass freelythrough the washer I4 of the pusher 6, and through a washer 26 whichabuts the exterior face of the sealing member I5. A threaded nut 21 isscrewed on the protruding end of the member 25 and another nut, notshown, may be used to lock the nut 21 from rotation, if desired. The nut21 serves to adjust the tensionon the spring 23 as desired. A iiexiblecable 23 is threaded through the member 25 and lengthwise through thespring 23, one of its ends being securely fastened to the rod 24 and itsopposite end being looped and clamped. by a cable clamp 29. The cableclamp 29 is of such size as to prevent it from entering the bore of themember 25. The cable, as shown, is of slightly greater length than thedistance between the rod 24 and the outer end of the member 25. Thisarrangement permits the various sections to pass through a pipe bend byexpanding the spring 23 but also prevents too great a strain beingplaced on the spring 23. In other words, if the pull on the forward endof the tool is great enough to pull the pushers 6 and 'I apart, thespring 23 is permitted to stretch only until the cable clamp 29 seatsrmly on the protruding end of the member 25. Continued pull on theforward end of the tool is assumed directly by the tightly stretchedcable.

While Figure 2 shows the complete tool as being composed of only thepushers 6 and 1 and two blade carrying sections 5 and 3U, it will beunderstood that any number of blade carrying sections or pushers may besecured together in the manner shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows onlythe rear three sections of the tool and the manner of connecting themtogether. The other sections of the tool may be connected together in asimilar manner by means of a spring 32 and a cable 33, each having oneend connected to a cross-bar 34 rigidly secured in the section I, asshown, and each having its opposite end adjustably secured in theforward end of a section 30 by means of a member 25, a washer 26, and anut 21 for the spring 32, and by means of a cable clamp 29 for the endof the cable 33, all identical to the mounting of the cable 28 and the`spring 23 in the rear end of the section 6.

In operation the tool is simply placed in the pipe to be cleaned andwater pressure is applied behind the tool in the pipe. The water pressesagainst the sealing elements I5, the peripheries of which seal againstthe interior bore of the pipe, and the pressure tends to force theentire tool through the pipe. The springs 23 and 32 aid in maintainingthe various sections of the tool in axial alignment, yet permit therequired relative movement as the various sections move through a bendin the pipe. The spring steel supporting members I6 prevent the waterpressure from deforming the sealing elements'IS and passing the pushers6 and l. The blades 8 and 22 scrape the interior wall of the pipe as thetool passes through, and the arrangement of the blades, as shown, servesto assure the scraping of the entire interior surface of the pipe. Incase the tool should become stuck in the pipe, a pull or jerk on thecable 33 serves to dislodge the tool from its stuck position. Thepulling of the cable 33 is transmitted directly to the section 'Iwithout stretching the forward spring 32, thus leaving that spring freeat all times to maintain the nose of the foremost section 30 in acentral position in the pipe. This is a very distinct advantage, becauseif the nose of the section 30 was permitted to gravitate to the bottomof the pipe, the chances of lodging the tool in the pipe would begreatly increased. From the section 'I the pull is transmitted directlyto the rear cable 28, the length of which is such as to prevent thespring 23 from being stretched `or deformed to such an extent as torender it useless during future cleaning operations.

While we have described and illustrated a specic embodiment of ourinvention, we are aware that numerous alterations and changes may bemade therein and We do not wish to be limited except by the prior artand by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A piston-like or pusher body section for a pipe cleaning toolcomprising: a substantially cylindrical body member; a substantiallyflat flexible sealing disc of larger diameter than said cylindrical bodymember mounted concentrically on the rear end thereof; and a pluralityof resilient circumferentially spaced longitudinally and radiallyoutward extending sealing disc supporting members each having its for`ward end rigidly secured to the cylindrical body section, and eachhaving its free rear end bent radially inward to lie in a plane parallelto the forward side surface of said sealing disc, and immediatelyforward thereof, the free ends of said members being adapted to flexradially.

2. A piston-like or pusher body section for a pipe cleaning toolcomprising: a substantially cylindrical body member; a substantiallyflat flexible sealing disc of larger diameter than said cylindrical bodymember mounted concentrically on the rear end thereof; and a pluralityof resilient circumferentially spaced longitudi nally and radiallyoutward extending sealing disc supporting members each having itsforward end rigidly secured to the cylindrical body section, and eachhaving its free rear end bent radially inward to lie in a plane parallelto the forward side surface of said sealing disc and immediately forwardthereof, the free ends of said members being adapted to flex radially;and independent means for limiting the radial outward movement of thefree end of each of said sealing disc supporting members.

THOMAS D. CONSTANT.

CARSON B. BOULTON.

